8T Bogo kids received gifts from Samaritan Purse
Children of police personnel at the Bogo City Police Station were treated to a gift-giving activity organized by the Samaritan’s Purse inside the police station in Camp Don Pedro Rodriguez, Bogo City last Feb. 26.
The children were among those chosen by the group headed by Heide Demecillo as beneficiaries for its series of gift-giving activities under the Operation Christmas Child program.
Prior to the distribution of 150 gifts to the children, Demecillo read Bible stories and taught the children about Christian values and action songs.
Demecillo said that her group has been distributing gifts for kids around Cebu’s northern part.
The beneficiaries included orphaned children of Bogo City who are sheltered at Icon Hope Foundation Brothers of the Sacred Heart and Beato Tomaso Maria Fusco Hope. These shelters are also beneficiaries of PNP Bogo’s weekly feeding program.
Demecillo thanked Supt. By- ron Allatog, Bogo City Police Station chief, for assisting her group in determining the beneficiaries, and for being with them during the distribution of gifts.
For Bogo City alone, the group distributed a total of 8,000 gifts to the children-beneficiaries.
These gifts came from kind-hearted people around the world that were collected through Samaritan’s Purse, a non-denominational evangelical Christian organization that helps poor and needy people, and also aims to provide joy to children from the different countries, including the Philippines through Operations Christmas Child.
Allatog said he was glad to see the happy faces of the children while opening their gifts, which were mostly toys and school supplies.
Through the station’s Police Community Relations section, Allatog has been partnering with non-government organizations that advocate for children’s rights and welfare, as well as elevating the child’s nutrition aspect.
Last month, the Bogo City Police Station sealed a partnership with two orphanages in the city to show that the PNP cares despite some setbacks nationally.
The city police force signed a memorandum of agreement with the Beato Tommaso Maria Fusco Hope House Inc. in Sitio Bantaaw, Barangay Cayang, and Icon Hope Foundation Brothers of the Sacred Heart in Barangay Cogon for a weekly feeding program with the children in the two centers.
“The presence of every PNP in its jurisdiction is vital for every kid’s learning and growth by imparting the dangerous effects of illegal drugs and improving ways to be a responsible kid in the neighborhood,” the Bogo City police chief said.